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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chest — a box
  3. perch — the fish
  4. club — for golf
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pound — a weight
  17. club — a group
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com